


lemon boy & i, we're gonna live forever

by bookishpanda



Series: Sanders Sides Shorts [30]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Food mention, Human AU, M/M, Song fic, background married prinxiety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:15:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28866873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookishpanda/pseuds/bookishpanda
Summary: Patton’s new neighbor takes some coaxing, but eventually they become closer than anyone could have hoped.
Relationships: Deceit | Janus Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders
Series: Sanders Sides Shorts [30]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2067366
Kudos: 13





	lemon boy & i, we're gonna live forever

**Author's Note:**

  * For [doublejoywilson](https://archiveofourown.org/users/doublejoywilson/gifts).



> Inspired by the song “Lemon Boy” by Cavetown.  
> This is a birthday gift for Abby! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE MOCEIT OVERLORD!!! LOVE YA BUNCHES

Patton was sweet, like the heavily-sugared teas that he would drink under one of the lemon trees in his backyard. He made it a point to be kind to each person he met, even if they did not provide equal cordiality. So, when he heard of a new neighbor moving in, he made it a point to go and meet the man.

Patton knocked on the door, balancing the plate with lemon bars in his spare hand, a smile on his face. After a few moments, the door opened slightly, and all Patton could see was half of his new neighbor’s face.

“Hey there, friend! I’m Patton, your next door neighbor, and I just wanted to welcome you in and give you some of my famous homemade lemon bars!” Patton said cheerily, holding the plate out. The man on the other side of the door blinked at him, then hesitantly took the plate.

“Thanks,” he said quietly, setting the plate off to the side. “If that’s all—”

“Oh, alright. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to come on over! I’m usually out back tending to my garden or my lemon trees, or inside working. Don’t be a stranger!” Patton made a move to turn around, but hesitated, then looked back. “Didn’t catch your name, friend.”

“Janus,” the voice responded before closing the door. Patton twisted his mouth, thinking, then shrugged and headed back home. 

Inside, Janus stared at the plate of lemon bars, this act of kindness new to him. He let himself smile faintly as he took the plate into the kitchen, picking one up and taking a bite. And he had never tasted anything so wonderful in his life.

-

Janus was startled to hear a knock at his door; he put the box he was carrying down and went to it, opening it slightly as to cover the scarred part of his face, to see Patton standing there, a plate of cookies in hand and a smile on his face.

“Hey there, friend! I accidentally made a bunch of extra lemon shortbread cookies today and wondered if you wanted some?” Patton asked, tilting his head to the side as he smiled at Janus, whose mind raced to the lemon bars that he consumed within a day. Janus wondered how accidental the extra cookies were, but he had never tasted such delicious food, so he wasn’t going to complain.

“Sure, Patton… thank you,” he responded, taking the plate. “Um, I’d invite you in but… it’s kind of a mess with all of the boxes…” Patton nodded in understanding. 

“That’s alright, Janus. Hey, how did you like the lemon bars?” he asked, remembering the plate he had delivered just a few days prior. Janus blinked, then his face turned red.

“I… ate them all…” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, a sheepish smile on his face. “I’ve never been a fan of lemons… but your baking is amazing.” Patton beamed, his positivity bleeding through the crack in the door, seeping to Janus.

“I’m so glad you liked them!” He said happily, nearly bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. “Please let me know if you ever want to learn how to bake them! Ooh, or you can come by for dinner this weekend and I’ll make you some more! And my grandmother’s lemonade, and a fresh salad with the greens from my garden—” Patton stopped himself, blushing frantically. “Sorry, I get rambly when food is involved.” Janus blinked, the first thought running through his mind being  _ don’t stop, it’s adorable _ . He cleared his throat instead.

“That’s alright, Patton,” he replied, nodding. “A home cooked meal sounds nice, I’ve been ordering in all week.” Patton cheered quietly.

“Amazing! Saturday at 5, don’t be late!” With that, the cheerful man skipped down the steps and back to his house, and Janus found himself watching the man until he slipped back into his home. 

-

Patton leaned his elbow on the dining table, mind running with possible dishes to make for Janus. A snapping sound came from his left and he blinked to see Virgil, his younger brother, staring at him. “What’s up with you, Pat?” Roman, who had poured the trio some wine, sat down next to his husband. 

“Hmm? Oh… new neighbor is coming for dinner tomorrow, trying to figure out what to cook for him…” Patton responded, a faint smile on his lips. Roman and Virgil shared a knowing look, and the couple smirked at him.

“Oh, you’ve got it bad,” Roman teased, and Patton flushed bright red, shaking his head. “Don’t deny it, padre. Haven’t seen that look on your face since—” Virgil plastered his hand over his husband’s face, giving him a stern look. Panic tore through Patton until he felt his brother’s hand on his shoulder.

“Breathe, Pat. This isn’t that situation, okay? You’re gonna be fine,” he said reassuringly, and Patton nodded, sighing. As he was about to respond, there was a knock at the door, and Patton blinked. 

“I got it, don’t worry,” Roman said, standing up and heading to the door. When he opened it, he found a scarred man blinking up at him, holding two empty plates. “How can I help you?”

“O-Oh… I’m sorry, I was looking for Patton, I didn’t know he was on a date, I’m sorry—” Janus tried to turn around but was only met with boasting laughter from Roman.

“Oh my god, that’s hilarious,” Roman was nearly bent over from laughing so hard. “My husband would kill me if I was on a date with his big brother.” Janus blanched, then turned red, looking down.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know—” he started, and Roman just gave him a charming smile. Janus took a steadying breath, then continued. “Um, I just wanted to return these plates to Patton, and to see if there was anything I could bring to dinner tomorrow…” 

“Janus!” Patton appeared behind Roman, Virgil on his tail. Janus smiled faintly at him, and Patton beamed. “Thank you for bringing the plates back, and no, you don’t need to bring anything tomorrow other than yourself!” Janus nodded, and Roman took the plates from him, watching as Janus looked from Patton to Virgil to Roman. “Oh! Janus, this is my brother Virgil and his husband Roman. Guys, this is Janus, my new neighbor!”

“He thought I was on a date with ya, Padre,” Roman teased, and Janus turned bright red again. Virgil crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “Oh come on babe, you know I’ve only ever had eyes for you.”

“I know,” Virgil said flatly, a smirk tugging at his lips, then met eyes with Janus. “My big brother must really like you, he never puts in half the effort to plan our weekly dinners—”  
“Oooookay that’s enough outta you, kiddo,” Patton laughed weakly, trying to push Virgil and Roman back into the kitchen. “You two check on the dinner, okay?” He glared at them until they disappeared, then turned back to Janus, who was watching him carefully. “They’re a bit odd, but they’re family.” Janus nodded.

“It’s nice,” he said, and Patton raised an eyebrow at him. “I don’t really have any close family or friends,” he explained, and Patton frowned. Janus gestured to his scarred face, “that’s what happens when you look the way I do. No big deal.” 

“It  _ is _ a big deal, Janus. I’m sorry that the people around you couldn’t look past appearances; I know we barely know anything about each other but you don’t deserve to be alone… no one does,” Patton said wholeheartedly, and Janus smiled faintly back. 

“Thanks, Patton… I’ll see you tomorrow,” and with that, Janus turned around and walked home, Patton watching the whole way.

-

Janus sat on a lounge chair in his backyard the following morning in just some swim trunks; absorbing the sunlight was good for him. As he laid there, he suddenly heard some singing come from next door; he listened a bit closer and realized that it was Patton, probably singing to his plants. Curiously, the scarred man stood up and approached the fence, peering over. Patton was in overalls and a blue collared shirt covered with paint stains, his hair pushed back with a fabric headband, and he was kneeling next to his vegetable garden, picking things and placing them in a basket. As he picked and tended to the plants, he sang about a lemon boy, about weeds, about living forever. When his voice faded out and he stood up to pick lemons from the trees, Janus finally spoke up.

“You have a beautiful voice, Patton,” he called, and Patton stumbled, dropping his basket of produce. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I was sunbathing.” 

Patton approached the fence, then stood on a little bench to peer over at Janus. His face turned bright red when he realized that Janus was just wearing shorts. “It’s alright. Um, do you… sunbathe often?”

“At least once a week. It feels good on my skin,” Janus explained, rubbing his scarred arm with his other hand. Patton’s eyes trailed away from Janus’ scarred half, meeting his eyes. “You want to ask what happened, don’t you? Everybody does.”

“No, that’s not what I was thinking,” Patton said honestly. He brushed his dirt-covered hands onto his overalls. “I was thinking that I’ve never seen someone so beautiful.” Janus’ face and neck turned bright red and he stammered.

“I- well… thank you, Patton,” he stumbled over his words, unable to hide his smile. “I should head back inside to finish a little bit of work before tonight… see you later, Patton.” Before Patton could respond, the man had skittered back into his house, leaving Patton with a fluttering heart.

-

“Dinner was delicious, thank you,” Janus broke the silence that had settled over the pair during dinner. Before they ate, they made cordial conversation, dancing around what they both were thinking. Patton had asked what Janus did for a living, and learned that he wrote mystery novels. Likewise, Janus learned that Patton wrote recipes for an online blog.

The two moved to the couch in the living room, glasses of wine in hand. “Your house has a very distinct style, Patton,” Janus commented, and Patton laughed lightly, nodding.

“My grandmother left me this house, and a lot of this furniture was hers. Vee didn’t want the house, it’s not exactly Ro’s style,” he explained. He watched Janus carefully, then set his wine glass down. “Virgil was right, you know. I don’t normally put in that much effort with meals, but for you, I wanted to make sure everything was perfect… I don’t know what it is, Janus… I just…  _ feel _ something that I haven’t felt in a very long time.” Janus nodded, looking towards Patton. 

“You remind me of sweet tea,” Janus said plainly, and Patton tilted his head, a smile caught on his lips. “You’re kind, and honey-sweet… but you have to know that I’m a lemon, Patton. I’m bitter and leave a sour taste in people’s mouths.” Patton scooted closer to Janus, a hand resting on the man’s thigh.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Janus, but I love lemons. And any lemon-aid I can provide… even if it’s just someone to sit next to you… it would be the ‘zest’,” Patton smirked, and Janus shook his head, faint laughter bubbling up in his throat. “Other people suck, but not you.” 

“You make one more pun like that and I’m going to have to find a way to shut you up,” Janus teased, and Patton raised an eyebrow, tongue between his teeth. “I can see you trying to think of one.”

“I don’t know, I think I can  _ squeeze  _ one out—”

Janus’ hands flew to cup Patton’s chin, and their lips met desperately, Patton let out a faint gasp and gripped the front of Janus’ shirt. Eventually they pulled back, and Patton let his forehead rest against the other’s. 

“I think you’re very a- _ peel _ -ing, Janus,” Patton whispered, and Janus laughed again, letting his fingers move up to tangle in Patton’s curly hair.

“It’s a good thing I like puns, or I would not be sitting here with you listening to them,” he murmured, and Patton smiled. “You sure you like lemons?”

“As long as you like sweet tea.”


End file.
